The path to a car-less Balboa Park is strewn with legal controversy

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1915: The original Plaza de Panama was built for the Panama-California Exposition as a temporary establishment.

October, 2003: The Balboa Park Land Use, Circulation and Parking Plan targeted parking as a “challenging issue” to be resolved. It suggested using the parking lots instead for “people space.” The plan was never approved though.

Balboa Park Proposed Renovation

July 2006: A Parking Management Plan was presented to the city as a way to suggest ideas for moving parking to remote locations and using shuttles.

January 2010: Mayor Jerry Sanders brought up the Plaza in his State of the City address to address parking and traffic congestion. Soon after, Qualcomm co-founder formed the 11-member Plaza de Panama committee to explore designs.

Plaza de Panama Plan in Images

June 2011: The city’s Rules committee submitted a vote of “no confidence” in the project. Jacobs then announced that he would be suspending his work on the project and sent a Memorandum of Understanding to the Rules Committee.

February 7, 2012: California’s State Historic Preservation Officer, Milford Wayne Donaldson, wrote a letter to the National Park Service requesting that the federal service intervene Jacobs’ plan. He asked the service to review the project.